Securing Time
by Astramina
Summary: The Ff8 gang search for an item which is rumored to be able to allow time travel, while someone is trying to help Adel achieve what Ultemicia failed to do. More chapters up!!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, Square does.  
  
Securing Time  
Prologue  
  
  
He sat on a hard, black leather couch, slumped lazily backwards with his feet spread out on the red carpeted floor. He frowned at his arms crossed over his chest.  
What am I doing here? he thought to himself as he closed his eyes for a moment and opened them to stare at his arms again.  
He noticed a small crack in the leather of one of his gloves and stared at it fiercely, trying to focus all of his attention on something other than his reason for being there.  
Light fingers brushing a loose piece of hair off his forehead caused his gaze to shift from his glove to the hand, which then rested on his shoulder. He breathed out heavily and shifted in his seat.  
Warm black hair was pressed into his neck and Squall uncrossed his arms to slip one behind Rinoa's waist.   
"Don't worry about the mission." Rinoa said to him quietly, looking up at his face.  
He looked back at her and his frown lifted. Kissing her forehead gently, Squall put his head down again to look at his chest where his arms had been.  
Rinoa squeezed his shoulder encouragingly and pressed her head into the soft white fur on the collar of his jacket. Squall smiled slightly and tilted his head so that it leant against her, and they waited for Cid to summon them to his office.  
It was the late afternoon. That morning Squall had woken up to find and grey file on the floor by the door. In the file were papers about the new mayor of Timber and certain newspaper articles about an item called the Phoenix Wing. It's use was unknown but there were rumours that it could slow down time and permit time travel.  
With the file was a note from Cid asking him to read over the file and the meet him in his office at 1630 hours.  
Squall had skimmed over the contents of the file but when he reached the articles about time travel his mind wandered to Ellone on the white SeeD ship. He hadn't seen her since they defeated Ultimecia. She had left suddenly, a week after they had returned and he hadn't seen her since then. He had received two letters from her but that was all the contact he'd had from her.  
He had decided, after reading the file, that he would try to find her after this next mission, but his suspicions told him that if this mission had something to do with time travel, he would see her sooner than that. 


	2. The New Mission

Chapter One  
The New Mission  
  
  
The time was 4:40 in the afternoon when the door to Cid's office slid open with a quiet whoosh. Squall and Rinoa stood together and Squall took the chance to see who else was going to be on the mission. He had heard people arrive and sit down on other chairs outside Cid's office but he was too deep in thought to bother looking up.  
He saw Irvine stand in front of him and pull Selphie close to him as she stood. Selphie staggered to her feet awkwardly and then giggled as Irvine wrapped one of his arms around her waist and pulled her towards the open door.  
To his right Squall saw Quistis stand and stretch her arms out in front of her. A folder similar to the one that he had received was in her hand. She walked calmly into Cid's office and greeted him with a small bow as she entered.  
In Cid's office there were a collection of chairs arranged in a crooked line against one wall. Cid signalled for them to take a seat as they entered and then looked at his watch. He looked up as he heard the ping of the lift arriving and sighed as Zell ran into the office.   
"Whew, almost late!" he said to no-one in particular as he noticed that everyone was just sitting down.  
"Right," Cid said, standing in front of them, "I trust you've all read your files. The main target is Mayor Gilbert but this mission will not involve a direct attack. I'll let Xu explain the rest."  
Cid turned and went to his desk as Xu, who had been standing beside the desk as they came in, walked to the wall opposite them and pulled down two maps, one of Timber and the area around it, and the other of the forest and cliffs north of Dollet.   
"The new mayor of Timber," Xu started, "had close ties with president Deling and we have suspected for a long time that they were working in alliance with Sorceress Adel."  
some muttering from the seated people caused Xu to pause for a moment.  
"We suspect this happened when time compression occurred. The Sorceress had the same idea of going into the past to control the future as Ultimecia did but during time compression that would have been impossible.   
"Adel knew about the item, the Phoenix Wing, and so he formed an alliance with Mayor Deling and Mayor Gilbert. He gave them the Phoenix Wing and told them to hide it until they had captured Ellone.   
"They were to bind Ellone's consciousness with a spell stone that he gave them, so that they could use the Phoenix Wing to bend time and allow Adel to pass through without Ellone using her powers to interfere.   
Then Adel could gain the power of the sorceresses in another time and use it to destroy or control whatever he chooses.  
"Your mission is to find the Phoenix Wing and destroy it. There is only one of it's kind so you won't have to worry about a second one. You must also protect Ellone at all costs. She is the only other alternative for the Mayor's to use if the Phoenix Wing is destroyed. The White SeeD ship is bringing her here as we speak, and when she arrives, half of you will guide her to the Safe House where she will remain until Mayor Gilbert is in custody. The other half of you will search for the Phoenix Wing and destroy it."  
"To aid your search," Cid interrupted when Xu paused, "We will use Ellone's powers to send one of you back to the time when Mayor Deling hid the Phoenix Wing so you will know where to search."  
"Unfortunately, I can only send you back into the mind of someone you already know." a soft voice said from the doorway. Ellone stood there with a White SeeD on either side of her.  
The meeting had a brief pause as Ellone greeted everyone. When she turned to Squall he greeted her with a warm embrace.  
"I was just thinking about when I'd see you again." he whispered in her ear and she smiled, squeezing him as tight as she could.  
The meeting resumed again, this time the chairs were moved around into a circle and another one was added for Ellone. The SeeD's who had accompanied her stood behind her chair.  
"Where were we?" Cid started, "Oh, yes. Ellone's absolutely right. You can't be sent back into the mind of someone who you don't know which is why I have volunteered to allow someone to go back into my mind. I worked with the new Mayor for a while about four months ago.  
"Squall, as the leader of this mission, you can choose who will go." Cid looked at him, waiting for an answer.  
Squall stared back blankly. Why do they ask me? He thought, they're all expecting me to go so why don't they just ask me?  
"I'll go." he replied.  
"Good," Cid said, "We will begin tomorrow morning. You should also decide how the group will be split, who will escort Ellone and who will search for the Phoenix Wing. We will meet here tomorrow at 0900 hours. Don't be late."  
With the last sentence cid swung his gaze to Zell's seat. Zell grinned back at him and turned a bit red.  
The meeting broke up and everyone went their own ways. Quistis headed over to the class rooms to prepare for a tutorial she was giving to some new students. Selphie headed for the library with Irvine following her, joking and teasing her. Zell looked as if he was heading to the dorms but looked like he changed his mind as he turned down a corridor leading to the Canteen.  
Squall stood at the bottom of the elevator and looked at Rinoa. She watched his face as he thought about what to do.  
"Do you want to get some food?" she suggested.  
He shrugged and followed her as she made her way to the Canteen.   
His mind was thinking about how the group should split up when he realised that he had lost sight of Rinoa in the crowded Canteen. He looked around and then decided that he wasn't hungry. As he made his way through the crowd to the exit he felt a pull on his jacket. He turned around to see Ellone smiling back at him. 


	3. Lost Sister, Found

Chapter Two   
Lost Sister, Found   
  
  
Without speaking Squall and Ellone left the Canteen and headed to the Training Centre. Fighting their way through unusually quiet bush, Squall and Ellone arrived at the Forbidden Area.   
Squall thought of the last time that he had been there. He was with Rinoa, about a month after their return from time compression. It was a great night. There were fire works and a dance to celebrate the SeeD candidates who had passed their tests. It was one year since they met at that dance.   
"Is something wrong?" Ellone asked, staring into Squalls face.   
"Hmm..No," He replied, "I was just thinking about the last time I was here."   
"Tell me about it." Ellone said happily.   
"I was with Rinoa. It was exactly one year since we met."   
"You really care about her, don't you." Ellone said.   
"... Yes, I do," Squall said confidently, "I was wondering when I'd see you again. I was going to look for the White SeeD ship after this mission."   
"But then I came to you." Ellone said, leaning on the railing of the balcony and looking out at Garden.   
Squall turned to look at it as well. He thought of how the coloured lights had shot up from the Quad area and exploded into rings of yellow and blue light. At that moment he felt like he needed Rinoa to be there.   
"Squall..." Ellone said quietly. He turned to look at her and saw that her face was creased with worry. Seeing his concern, Ellone forced a smile, "I know this will sound silly...but..." Ellone sighed and breathed in heavily, "...I wish that I could be anyone but me."   
Squall turned around and put his hand on hers. He knew what she meant.   
"I hate running away all of the time. I wish that I could stay at garden with you and the others. I've really missed you Squall."   
Ellone closed her eyes and when she opened them a tear ran down her cheek. Squall put an arm around her shoulder and hugged her. After a while Ellone looked up at him with dry eyes.   
"I need to talk to you Squall," She said with a clear voice, "It's about the mission. I've never done anything like this before. The reason I could send you back to Laguna's time was because I could remember it so clearly. I haven't tried sending people back to a time that they know but I don't. So, I was thinking that it would save a lot of time if we tried it now," Squall frowned and Ellone laughed at the expression on his face, "I didn't think you'd like it." She said.   
Squall thought for a while and then agreed.   
"It would give us more time to think of an alternative if it doesn't work and we'd get a head start if it does." He reasoned.   
"You should sit down." Ellone advised, and he sat on the hard tiled floor of the balcony and leaned back against the railings.   
Ellone knelt beside him and placed her hand on the top of his head. A pale green light surrounded Squall and his head flopped forward.   
Squall focused on a picture of Cid as he felt Ellone put slight pressure on the hand on top of his head. A shrill sound rang in his ears and the image of Cid that he held in his mind blurred and faded into a brilliant white. It slowly faded back into focus and he was standing in a dimly lit office in front of a large polished desk. This was the easy part. 


	4. Revisited Past

Chapter Three   
Revisited Past   
  
  
In front of him stood a tall man. He had dark hair that was cut very short, and dull grey eyes. He looked to be in his late 30's but he walked with a limp in his left leg.   
"Hello Headmaster Cid." The man said in a dull voice.   
"Good Afternoon Mayor Gilbert. You wished to discuss the development of a new communication tower with me." Squall heard Cid's strong but calm voice reply.   
"That is correct. We need a team of SeeD's to survey the perimeter of the old tower to get rid of any monsters who might have arrived there since the tower was destroyed." Gilbert said, more emotion sounding in his voice.   
Direct, Squall noted, doesn't waste time.   
"Surely you should take the matter up with the Mayor of Dollet." Cid said keeping his voice level but Squall could feel the surge of suspicion arise in Cid's mind.   
"We have. He says that his troops have been too busy surveying the damages done by time compression. It appears that monsters from the future somehow jumped through time to the present. They are much stronger than any monsters that have been previously encountered and so it is taking a long time for Dollet's forces to dispose of them."   
"I see," Cid said, unconvinced, "If I agree to this, I will be putting many SeeD's lives in danger."   
"On the contrary, Headmaster Cid, I'm sure it will be no problem for a force as strong as the SeeD's."   
"You said yourself that they were stronger than any other monsters previously encountered." Cid accused.   
Poor judge of character, Squall thought. He thinks that he knows how to sway Cid's decision. He's used flattery. What else?   
"But that was only the opinion of Dollet's army. They are nowhere near as strong as the SeeD's forces"   
"What about Galbadia? Have you requested the use of their SeeDs?"   
"Galbadia Garden is on the move and I have not been successful in making contact to arrange a meeting with Headmaster Martine yet." Gilbert replied calmly.   
An unspecific answer, Squall noted. Anyone could say that but we have no proof that Galbadia isn't on the move. He's thought this through very thoroughly.   
"Why do you want to rebuild the communication tower in Dollet?" Cid enquired.   
"With the Gardens on the move all the time it will be a good way to keep in contact with them. There are many benefits to having a communication tower, Headmaster Cid. You should know that."   
"What will you do if I refuse?" Cid asked, not showing any signs of a decision.   
"We shall keep trying to make contact with Galbadia Garden and if that fails then we shall wait until Dollet's army has cleared it's region of monsters and then request their help."   
"What is The Mayor of Dollet's opinion of this project?"   
"He is very enthusiastic about the prospect of the Tower becoming fully operational again. But he is more concerned about the safety of his town which is why he cannot spare any soldiers to clear the area. He has entrusted me with the responsibility of hiring SeeD's to clear the area for him."   
"Did he specifically request SeeD's?" Cid enquired and raised an eyebrow in suspicion.   
"Yes." The Mayor replied calmly without giving anything away.   
"Why?" Cid asked after a pause.   
"He does not tell me his reasons, simply his requests." The Mayor replied. Squall watched his face carefully and saw his eye twitch slightly. He had given away that he was working for the Mayor of Dollet.   
"In that case," Cid said at last, having noticed the twitch as well, "I shall think about it and give you my answer in two days, if that is alright with you, Mayor Gilbert."   
The Mayor looked slightly disappointed and then smiled weakly.   
"Of course, Headmaster Cid, Thank you for your time."   
The two men stood and shook hands and as the scene Squall was watching faded to white again, Squall took another good look at the Mayor and held the picture of him in his mind.   
When the white faded into colour again, Squall was in the same office, standing behind the polished desk, watching the figure of Cid leave the room through the door.   
'Good,' Squall heard the Mayor think, 'Cid will turn down the offer and then the Phoenix Wing will be safe.'   
The Mayor walked over to a plant pot on a small table by the door and dug into the soil with his fingers. When he pulled his hand out he held a small black key.   
With the key he walked over to his desk and reached underneath it. He fitted the small key into a hole and turned it. Squall heard a muffled click from the bookcase on the wall to his left. Mayor Gilbert pulled the key out of the hole and re-planted it in the pot by the door.   
At the bookcase he reached his hand onto the top shelf and pulled away a panel on the wall. Pulling over a chair, he stood on it to look up at the wall where the panel had been. In it's place was a small silver safe.   
The mayor turned the dial; 9 right, 11 left, 20 right.   
Squall made a note of the numbers.   
In the safe was a gold and red item in the shape of a wing. The feathers were coloured with blue and green lines and the whole thing shone dimly from inside the dark safe.   
The phoenix wing, Squall thought to himself.   
The Mayor took the item from the safe and took it to his desk. Placing it on his desk carefully he took from the top draw in his desk, a pile of thin white tissue paper which he placed the Phoenix Wing on.   
After wrapping it carefully in the paper, he called for his secretary to bring in a box to put it in and when she did, Squall looked with dismay at the other things that she held in her arms.   
As well as the small cardboard box which Mayor Gilbert placed the phoenix wing in, his secretary also carried four other similar cardboard boxes, all sealed with brown tape. The Mayor finished sealing the box he had with brown parcel tape and then placed it on the top of the pile that his secretary held.   
The Mayor handed his secretary a sealed envelope.   
"You know what to do. The locations are in here." He waved the envelope in her face.   
"Yes, sir." she said and left the room.   
Damn, thought Squall. There are five possible locations and I need to see that letter.   
He cursed as his vision faded to white and then focused on the wall of the training centre at Garden. 


	5. The Finalised Plan

Chapter Four  
The Finalised Plan  
  
  
Ellone was sitting on the floor next to him. Her eyes were closed and he could see sweat on her forehead.  
He started to get up when she opened her eyes and smiled at him weakly. The sky had turned red while he was unconscious. Squall helped Ellone to her feet and they made their way through garden to the dorms where Ellone had been given a room.   
In her room, Ellone asked Squall if he had found out what he needed to. Squall shook his head.  
"There are five places that the phoenix wing could be but I don't know any of them," He admitted, "Their locations were in an envelope. I didn't see inside it. Tomorrow I'll go further back and find the locations."  
Ellone smiled and nodded.  
"Goodnight." she said as Squall left her room and returned to his own.  
When he got to his room he found Rinoa lying on his bed reading a book and waiting for him.  
"There you are!" she said, sitting up and pointing a finger at him as he entered the room, "Thought you could get rid of me?"  
Squall smiled at the accusing look on her face and grabbed her hand, pulling her up off the bed.  
"I was with Ellone." He explained.  
"Oh," Rinoa said, squeezing him around the waist, "Where did you go?"  
"Training Centre."  
"That's a cosy place to chat!" Rinoa joked.  
"We went to the Forbidden Zone." Squall explained.  
Rinoa sighed and hugged him tighter. Squall breathed in the sweet smell of her hair and stroked it with a gloved hand.  
Ellone was right though, Squall thought to himself as lay on his bed later that night, I really do care about her. He opened his eyes and saw Rinoa where she had fallen asleep in his arms. Checking the time he got up carefully so as not to wake her up and silently left the room.  
  
*  
  
Rinoa woke up to an empty room. The window was shut but she could hear the birds at the Garden singing to welcome the new day. Stretching and rubbing her eyes she saw that it was 8:30. She groaned and tried to think where Squall had gone. Coming to no conclusions, she yawned, stretched again and went to the Cafeteria to get herself a quick breakfast.  
  
*  
  
At 8:54 Rinoa was standing outside Cid's office. everyone was there except Squall, which was unlike him. She was inspecting her Cardinal when she heard the lift doors slide open with a ping. Her head shot up to see who the person in the lift was.  
Squall walked into the hall with Ellone by his side, talking to him casually.  
"Are you sure you aren't trying to get rid of me?" Rinoa said happily as he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.  
"We had to finish what we did last night," He said to Rinoa quietly so the none of the others could hear him, "But I'll explain in the meeting."  
Rinoa was confused but she didn't bother asking any more questions because she knew that Squall wouldn't answer them.  
The doors of Cid's office opened again and the group went inside and sat along the wall where they had before.  
"Now, Squall," Cid began once they were all seated, "Are you ready?"  
"Yes." was the plain reply.  
"Good. Ellone, when you are ready please begin." the headmaster nodded to Ellone.  
"Headmaster Cid," Ellone started, "Last night Squall and I already tried it. Squall..."  
Squall took his cue.  
"I went back to when you met with Mayor Gilbert. There are five identical parcels, only one of which contains the phoenix wing. They are hidden at five separate locations all over the world. The locations were printed on a list but I only saw the top three."  
Cid sat up from behind his desk and brought out a pen and a sheet of paper ready to write down the locations. Squall continued.  
"The first is a cave in the mountains to the north of the Shumi village. The second is somewhere in the Kashkabald desert. I have co-ordinates for that point."  
Squall handed the headmaster a piece of paper with numbers written on it. Cid nodded and copied the numbers onto the paper that he was writing on.  
"The third is in the Centra ruins which is on the island to the north east of the orphanage. They're the only places I'm sure of but I have good reason to believe that they are also using the abandoned communication tower at Dollet."  
"I turned down his offer." Cid told Squall.  
"I know. He wanted you to, which is why he planned the conversation. Everything he said had been pre-planned and all of your answers had been predicted."  
"Damn. He knew I'd turn down his offer." Cid said quietly and tapped his fingers on the desk lightly.   
"Still," Cid said, addressing the group in front of him, "we have four locations out of five. You will split into three groups. One group will take Ellone to the Safe House and protect her and the other two will search one location each, then join up again to search the Centra ruins and then Dollet Tower. Squall, have you decided the groups?"  
"Yes." Squall replied plainly. But I don't see why you couldn't have chosen them, he thought. "Zell and Irvine will go with Ellone. Quistis and Rinoa will go to the Kashkabald Desert and I will go to the Shumi Village with Selphie."  
Zell looked like he would complain as Squall had thought he would, but then he closed his mouth and sat back in his chair.  
Cid nodded at Squalls choice in groups. "Good, we will meet at the front gate of Garden at 1030 hours. Until then you have free time but make sure you are prepared to go." 


	6. Last Preparations

Chapter Five  
Last Preparations  
  
  
It was 9:45 when Squall left the headmasters office. The others had already left but Cid told Squall to wait because he needed to speak to him.  
"Why did you choose Zell and Irvine to protect Ellone?" Cid had asked him. Squall shrugged. "Surely you had a reason." Cid persisted.  
"Irvine uses a gun so he could hold off oncoming attackers and Zell could confront the closer ones." Squall said, wondering where Rinoa would be when he left the office.  
"But any of the others, Selphie or Quistis, they need to be close to attack so why Zell?" Cid persisted. Squall wondered if this conversation was leading anywhere.  
"If they were taken by surprise then Zell wouldn't need to waste time getting out a weapon because he uses his fists. The time Quistis or Selphie uses to get out their weapon is the most vital. If they are too slow the enemy has more time to use their advantage of surprise."  
Cid nodded and thought about what Squall had said. He's becoming a great leader, he thought to himself. He noticed Squall was looking very bored so Cid dismissed him and looked over the locations Squall had given them.  
In the hall Squall saw Rinoa waiting for him by the lift. He felt a surge of emotion pass over him as he watched her brush away the hair that was over her eyes and her eyes brighten up as she noticed him coming out of Cid's office.  
She smiled at him and he stroked her cheek, then stepped closer to her and kissed her. When he pulled away from her she put her hand in his and they took the lift down to the first floor.  
They went to the cafeteria to have some more breakfast so they wouldn't be hungry on their mission. In the cafeteria they met up with Irvine and Selphie.  
"This is our first real, big-time, important mission since we defeated Ultimecia." Irvine pointed out to Rinoa and Squall as Selphie waved them over to their table.  
"I'm excited!" Selphie said, "It will be good to be doing something useful again, rather than just sitting around at Garden, though I am a bit disappointed about the Garden Festival..."  
Irvine laughed and put an arm around Selphies shoulders. Rinoa grinned and Squall rolled his eyes.  
"Are you both ready? We leave in..." Squall checked his watch, tapped it, and sighed in annoyance.  
"Stopped working?" Rinoa asked sympathetically and Squall nodded.  
"I have a new battery in my room. I'll meet you outside at 1030" And with that Squall left the others and hurried back to his room. 


	7. Reviewing Love

Chapter Six  
Reviewing Love  
  
  
Rinoa looked at Squall disappearing into the crowd with disappointment.  
"Do you think something's wrong?" she said to Selphie more than Irvine.  
"With what?" Selphie replied, picking up on the worried tone in Rinoa's voice.   
"With Squall...no, with me. Does he seem to be acting...differently...to you?"  
"Nope," Ivine tried to cheer her up, "He's still the same ignorant and stubborn jerk that we all know and love." Selphie elbowed him in the ribs and he grunted.  
"I know but..." Rinoa wrapped a hand over the rings on the chain around her neck, "Do you think he loves me?"  
"I don't know why you'd ever think he doesn't, Rinoa." Selphie said kindly. Rinoa forced a smile and stared at the table. Selphie gave Irvine a worried look and he shrugged back.  
Looking up, Rinoa smiled at the pair and stood, telling them she was going to the front gate to wait for the others. Giving her smiles of encouragement, Selphie and Irvine stayed in the Cafeteria and Rinoa walked through the bustling cafeteria into the empty corridor.  
We were so close, Rinoa thought sadly as she walked the corridor and arrived at the front gate to wait for the others. The minutes passed. Rinoa pushed her worries out of her mind as she noticed Quistis wave to her as she approached.  
"Hey Quistis!" Rinoa smiled at the taller woman. At least she doesn't have to worry about men, she thought.  
"Hi, Rinoa. Ready for sweltering heat and sand in your boots?" Quistis smiled at her. Quistis didn't get a reply as Zell appeared and immediately started complaining about having to work with Irvine.  
"And another thing..."  
"Zell, if you don't like it, take it up with Squall." Quistis said, hoping to shut him up. Zell was silent.  
"Speak of the devil." Rinoa said quietly as Irvine and Selphie arrive with Squall a short distance behind them.   
They wasted no time in getting started. Zell and Irvine left with Ellone on the white SeeD ship, Squall and Selphie were on a train headed north and she and Quistis were in a Buggy, heading in the direction of the desert.  
Rinoa was alone with her thoughts again.  
Maybe I could ask Quistis what she thinks. Rinoa looked at the lady sitting with another file open on her lap, reading quietly. She would probably say the same as Selphie did, and they're right too. I'm just being paranoid.  
Rinoa closed her eyes and listened to the Buggy humming along the ground. The next time she opened her eyes, she and Quistis were surrounded in every direction by sand. 


	8. Fire and Ice

Chapter Seven  
Fire and Ice  
  
  
From the station, Squall and Selphie had caught a bus to a small port, and from there they went by boat to the Icy continent.  
The cave had been easy enough to find. A great black mouth in the white cliff face north of the Shumi Village. Before they entered it they had visited the village and bought supplies. Now they were walking through pale blue tunnels which eventually opened out into a wide cavern.  
"Brrr..." Selphie shivered, "It's SOOOO cold in here!"  
Squall looked around. This would be where they would find the parcel but it couldn't be as easy as it had been so far. Keeping a hand on his Gunblade, Squall moved further into the centre of the Cavern.  
  
******  
  
They had been walking for 20 minutes, Quistis in front with a small calculator-shaped device in her hand, and Rinoa following, trying to shake the sand out of her boots.  
"How much further?" Rinoa asked Quistis, trying not to sound fed up.  
Quistis stopped.  
"This should be it - the exact spot." They both looked around.  
"Now what?" Rinoa hopped on one foot and tipped the sand out of her boot. When she had replaced the boot she looked up at Quistis and groaned. Quistis' hand was stretched out to her and in it was a small spade. Rinoa laughed, took the spade and knelt down in the sand.   
They started digging.  
  
*******  
  
"Hellooooooooo"  
Squall winced as Selphie's voice echoed around the cavern. The floor rumbled slightly and cracks appeared in the far wall. Squall glared at Selphie and she apologized, sheepishly.  
A loud snarling could be heard from the far walls where the cracks had appeared and without warning, the whole wall shattered revealing another cavern, equally big, behind it. In this cavern stood what looked like a red dragon but it was pale blue in colour. The Dragon roared and shot a burst of dark blue flames out of it's mouth.  
Squall jumped to the side but Selphie wasn't as fast. The flames narrowly missed her as she jumped out of the way, but caught her boot, coating it in icicles. The frozen boot shattered on the ground as Selphie landed, revealing Selphie's pale foot.   
Squall cast a Firaga spell on the back of the Dragon's head, diverting it's attention on Selphie so she could dig through her pack for something to put on her foot.  
The dragon was fast. Squall dodged another blast of blue flames and jumped to the side again as it charged at him, causing it to slam into the icy wall.  
Squall looked past the dragon to see Selphie getting to her feet, a spare blanket tied around her bare foot. The dragon saw her too a lunged towards her. Selphie crouched and prepared to jump out of the way as the dragon closed in on her.   
She jumped but was pulled back by the blanket on her foot, which had frozen to the ice floor of the cavern. Staring up at the attacking dragon in fear, Selphie covered her head with her arms and waited for it to strike.   
  
******  
  
Things were slowing down in the desert. Quistis was taking a break while Rinoa, kneeling in a hole three feet deep, was ready to give up. The sun was almost directly overhead and it beat down on the two as Rinoa gave a cry of triumph.  
The metal spade in her hands had hit something solid. A new wave of determination swept over her as she threw the last of the sand covering off the small box, wedged in the sand.  
Pulling it out of the sand triumphantly, Rinoa threw the box out of the hole and climbed out after it. Quistis was grinning at her as she appeared out of the hole, the box was in her hands.   
They opened it together but were met with a disappointing sight. There was no Phoenix wing, just a box full of black shavings.  
The ground shook violently. In the distance, large figure rising out of the sand, could be seen.  
"Sand worms." Quistis said, frowning, "They aren't usually violent but they seem to be heading towards us."  
"What's this black stuff?" Rinoa asked. Quistis examined the contents of the box.  
"It's Black Wormroot shavings. Sand worms love it. This stuff to them is like spinach to Popeye. We've got to get out of here!" 


	9. Black Boxes

Chapter Eight  
Black Boxes  
  
  
The Dragon rounded on Selphie, leaving its pale blue neck unprotected. Squall picked himself up off the icy cavern floor. The Dragons jaw opened wide and lunged down over Selphies cowering figure. Squall charged at the Dragons neck and brought his gunblade slashing down on it.   
The Dragon roared. Selphie screamed.   
Squall lashed out again with his gunblade, severing the neck further. Dark blue dragons blood washed around his feet. The dragon raised his head above Selphie and turned to look at Squall. It lashed out with a clawed foot and knocked Squall back. Selphie shook her foot free of the blanket and crawled out from under the Dragon.  
Squall stood again and cast a firaga spell on the deep gash that he had opened on the Dragons neck. The dragon roared again and from its other side Selphie cast death on it.  
A dark hole opened on the ground in front of the wounded Dragon. A cloaked figure rose out of it and with a flash of light, the figure disappeared and the Dragon slumped onto the ground, lifeless.  
Panting heavily, Selphie walked around the head of the dragon to see Squall disappearing past the Dragons corpse into the cavern from which it had appeared.  
  
******  
  
Rinoa dropped the box of Black Wormroot and followed Quistis back to their Sand Buggy. It was a slow trip. The ground constantly rumbled and shook. Rinoa stopped by Quistis, who had fallen over after a particularly violent tremor. Looking back, Rinoa saw huge scaled worms rising up out of the sand. A collection of 6 or 7 had gathered around the place where the box had been dropped.  
"They're so fast!" she exclaimed to Quistis, who was back on her feet now. They carried on running towards their Buggy. The ground shook violently again.  
"They're following us." Quistis told Rinoa. They reached the Sand Buggy and Quistis shouted at the driver to get them out of there. The ground shook again and the two girls watched as the sand vanished beneath them.  
"It's under us!" Rinoa shouted in a panic. The worm rose higher with the Sand buggy on top of it. Quistis leaned out of the Buggy's window and cast a small spell on the worm. As soon as the spell hit the worm the Buggy fell to the ground and they were racing away from the desert.   
  
******  
  
In the far corner of the second cavern was a chest. Squall kicked at the padlock with his foot and was surprised to see it shatter along with the side of the chest.  
"That dragon must have frozen it." Selphie said, coming up next to Squall. They kicked the rest of the chest to pieces to reveal a black box inside it.  
"Yay!" Selphie cheered but then covered her mouth with her hands as Squall frowned at her.   
He opened the box. Inside was a folded white cloth. Squall pulled it out and unfolded it but was annoyed to find that it only contained a lump of ice.  
"Oh, well." Selphie whispered, "Should we bring it back with us?"  
Squall shook his head. "We'll leave it here. It's no use to us."  
"But it might contain a clue of where the other boxes are." Selphie suggested.  
"There won't be anything." Squall sighed, "We shouldn't have expected something so valuable to be so easy to find. Let's go."  
Squall waited while Selphie got out pair of socks from her pack and put them both on her bare foot. Then, the two SeeDs left the icy cavern and headed back to the Shumi Village.  
  
******  
  
On the short trip across solid land back to Garden, Rinoa thought about asking Quistis about Squall. She started to speak, but didn't know what she wanted to say.  
"Quistis," she started, "Do...you...er...think...uh..."  
Quistis looked up from the report she was writing and smiled at Rinoa.  
"Sorry, you're busy." Rinoa apologised.  
"What's wrong?" Quistis asked, putting the loose papers back in her folder.  
Rinoa paused.  
"Do you have a boyfriend?" she asked suddenly.  
"Are you worried about Squall?" Quistis smiled again.  
"Am I that obvious?" Rinoa joked. "Or are you just avoiding the question?"  
Quistis laughed. "I'm sure that if it's Squall, you're just being paranoid."  
"That's what I was thinking."  
"Well considering what you've both been through, not many people would still be together after all that. You must have something special."  
"I don't know..." Rinoa stared down at her hands.  
"But since you asked, yes, I do have a boyfriend."   
Quistis laughed at Rinoas surprised expression. "Hey, it's not THAT hard to believe, is it?"  
They both laughed as their Buggy arrived at the Garden. 


	10. The Unknown Enemy

Chapter Nine  
The Unknown Enemy  
  
  
"WHY DOES EVERYONE ALWAYS PICK ON ME?!?!"  
Irvine threw his hands up in defence as Zell took another step towards him, his voice getting even louder.  
"EVERYONE TREATS ME LIKE A KID! I'M RESPONSIBLE! I'M MATURE! BUT EVERYONE MAKES FUN OF ME!!!"  
"Hey, Zell," Irvine was startled by Zells outburst, "I was only kidding. Calm down, man."  
Zell took another step towards Irvine, opened his mouth to say something, then decided against it and left Irvine on the deck of White SeeD ship, returning to his cabin to let out his stress on his punching bag.   
Zell didn't hear the soft knock on his door, or hear it being gently opened and shut again. He pounded the punching bag again and again. All of the insults and teasing he had ever been subjected to played over and over in his head. He drew back his fist and thrust it into the centre of the punching bag. The bag ripped and the beans that filled it, spilled out over the floor of his cabin.  
Zell hung his head, panting. When he raised it, he was shocked to see Ellone sitting on a chair watching him.   
"How long have you been there?" Zell asked between breaths. His face reddened at the thought of Ellone having watched him pummelling the punching bag.  
"Not long." she replied calmly, "What did Irvine do?"  
"Oh, I guess you heard that, eh?" Zell laughed nervously, "Just teasing me. I'd had enough of it."  
"Does he do it often?" Ellone said, standing.  
"No more than anyone else."  
"Oh."  
There was an uncomfortable pause.  
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you." Ellone said, heading for the door.  
"Oh...uh. No, you didn't. And...uh...I'm sorry too. For yelling...so loudly." Zell scratched his head, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't make him sound completely stupid.  
Ellone smiled, then laughed softly.  
"I guess I was kinda loud." Zell said, laughing too. The door opened suddenly and Irvine walked in.  
"Listen, Zell. I didn't mean for...you...to..." his voice trailed off as he saw Ellone next to Zell. "You're obviously busy. I'll leave you two alone." He left.  
"Great," Zell sighed, "Any reputation that I may have had has just flown out the window. I'll never hear the end of THIS one!"  
Ellone laughed again and after a while Zell did too.  
Suddenly the ship shook violently. After a moment, two of the white SeeDs had joined Zell and Ellone.  
"What was that!?!?" Zell demanded.  
"Two battle ships have approached and are firing at us. Ellone, we must abandon the ship before it's hit."  
The ship shook again. Zell ran on to the deck to find Irvine and three other white SeeDs returning fire to a small black battle ship. Zell ran to join Irvine.  
"Where are these ships from?" he shouted over the noise of the fighting.  
"I don't know," Irvine replied, "I don't recognise the ship designs."  
"Where's the other one?"  
"Behind us." Irvine levelled his rifle and fired at one of the black ships. There was a small eruption of flames where his shot hit the side of the ship but left it unscathed.  
Zell ran along the side of the ship, keeping low, until he had joined some more white SeeDs holding off the second battle ship. Without warning, the ship withdrew and disappeared below their ship. Looking around frantically, Zell felt a rush of air as the battle ship brushed up against the side of the white SeeD ship. A dozen masked soldiers jumped from the battle ship onto the deck of the white SeeD ship.   
Without hesitation, Zell cast an Aero spell on the group of unknown attackers, knocking them back. A few fell over the side of the white SeeD ship.  
Fighting his way through the masked warriors, Zell met up with Irvine and they both headed down into the cabins where Zell had left Ellone and the two white SeeDs. 


	11. Half-time Regroup

Chapter Ten  
Half-Time Regroup  
  
  
A scream from Ellones cabin drew the attention of the two boys. Rushing in, they saw two masked men standing over the crumpled bodies of the white SeeDs. A shot to the head from Irvine took one of them down as he approached Ellone. The other one took a powerful blow to the head from Zell and fell to the ground.  
Zell reached out a hand to Ellone, who was huddling in a corner. Nervously, she took it and Zell pulled her over the bodies of her masked attackers, into his arms.  
Irvine was checking the white SeeDs' for any signs of life.  
"They're both dead." Ellone said quietly to Irvine. He nodded silently and they made their way back up onto the deck.  
The black ships had disappeared and sprawled bodies littered the deck of the ship. Ellone choked on a sob and fell to her knees at the sight. Irvine and Zell checked the bodies for signs of life but failed to find any. Zell checked the engine and control rooms but returned with bad news. The three were all alone on the white SeeD ship.  
  
******  
  
Rinoa lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling. She wondered when Squall would get back. She had been wondering that all day and now, as day turned to night, she began to worry. She and Quistis had spent the morning in the infirmary being examined, then they had been briefed on the second part of their mission by Cid. After that they had had free time. Quistis had paid a visit to the training centre and Rinoa had spent the whole afternoon thinking about Squall.  
A knock on the door made Rinoa jump. A rush of excitement swept over her as she opened it. It was only Quistis.  
"The white SeeD ship is approaching Garden," she told Rinoa, "Cid wants us to be there in case there's trouble."  
Rinoa rolled off her bed and stretched, then followed Quistis to Cid office to await the arrival of the white SeeD ship.   
  
******  
  
As their bus rolled to a stop at Garden, Squall looked out of the window. Hovering in the air next to Garden was the white SeeD ship that Ellone had left on. Feeling an increasing sense on uneasiness, Squall made his way to Cids office as fast as he could, with Selphie not far behind him.  
  
******  
  
"A little more...that's it, stop." Irvine instructed Zell from the front of the ship. Zell looked over the board of buttons and switches, found the switch he was looking for, and pressed it. The ship shuddered slightly, then the sound of the engines cutting their power to half could be heard.  
the headmasters voice could be heard from over the intercom in the control room of the white SeeD ship,   
"Thanks." Zell said and gave a thumbs up sign to Irvine.  
"You did it." Ellones soft voice came from behind him.  
"It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be." Zell admitted, grinning, "And you were a big help, too."  
Ellone thanked him and blushed slightly, but Zell didn't notice. The two went to join Irvine on the deck. They found a ramp which could be attached to the side of the ship, and once they'd secured it, the three of them left the ship and joined their friends in Garden.  
  
******  
  
"What happened?" Squall asked bluntly as he and Selphie got to Cids office to find the rest of their group already there.  
"We were attacked by two battle ships. There were about thirty fighters but we took care of them, right Zell?"  
"Yeah!" Zell grinned. "We went to find Ellone and when we got up on the deck again, everyone was dead."  
Squall was about to ask another question when Cid cut in.  
"Good work you two. Take it easy for a while. We can handle it from here so be back here tomorrow at 1000 hours, all of you, and we'll discuss the next phase of the plan."  
They all saluted and left Cids office. In the lift, Rinoa tried to talk to Squall but he was too busy getting the details of then attack from Ellone. Quistis watched sadly as Rinoa headed to her room when the lift stopped, and Squall headed to the infirmary with Ellone, Zell, Irvine and Selphie.  
"You really are clueless." she whispered to herself as the group of the disappeared around the corner. 


	12. The Masked Stranger

Chapter Eleven  
The Masked Stranger  
  
  
Later that day, Quistis went to the canteen to find Rinoa. She hadn't been in her room which was the only place that Quistis had thought of looking for her. She had tried to find Squall too but had couldn't find him either. She hoped that they were together.  
In the Canteen she could only find Zell. He waved her over to his table.  
"Mmm, theesh are re'ey goog" He told her with a mouth full of hotdog.  
"Right." Quistis said, not understanding. "Have you seen Rinoa or Squall?"  
"Nope." he said swallowing. "Squall said he was going into town and I haven't seen Rinoa since after we got here."  
Quistis nodded grimly.  
"Why? what's up?" Zell asked.  
"I was going into town and wondered if Rinoa wanted to come," Quistis lied.  
"Oh," Zell started on another hotdog, "You look dressed up. Are you meeting anyone in Balamb?"  
Quistis laughed and resisted the urge to tell him all about Tyrren. "Don't wait up." she joked in reply and left the canteen.  
A person sitting at the back of the canteen watched the blonde leave. He pulled the hood he wore further over his face and left the canteen through the back.  
  
******  
  
Rinoa sat on a rock in the twilight and dipped her bare feet in the calm waters. To her right she could see the lights of Balamb, their reflections dancing on the small waves. She picked up her shoes and strolled down the beach in the direction of the small port.  
  
******  
  
In the forests outside the Garden, Quistis felt her heart skip at the thought of seeing Tyrren again. They had met briefly at the last Garden festival. He worked in the shop in Balamb where she had met him again and he had asked her out. She knew that he would be working now, he always worked late. She was going to surprise him because he thought she would still be on the mission. He didn't know that they were having a break.  
A rough hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, pinning her against a tree. A dark hood covered the face of the stranger. Quistis winced as he reached a hand up and brushed her cheek. She pushed against the attacker and freed one of her hands which she reached up and used to rip off the strangers hood.  
Her eyes widened and she let out a gasp as the fading light revealed who the stranger was.  
"Wha..." Her words were muffled as the familiar face pressed his lips against hers, releasing his grip on her hand and pressing her back onto the tree. Quistis reached up and grabbed a handful of short blonde hair, yanking it back, away from her. She brought her other hand up and threw it into his cheek, knocking him back. Thank you, Zell, she thought as she turned and ran from where the cloaked figure was getting up, shaking himself.  
As she ran, she heard no footsteps following her, but it was still a relief for her when she broke out through the trees to see the lights of Balamb glowing in front of her. She kept running and didn't stop until she bumped into Tyrren who   
was locking up the shop.  
"Quistis," he said in surprise, "what's wrong?"  
She kept her head buried in his chest, breathing heavily. Full of worry, Tyrren opened the shop again and lead her in.  
  
******  
  
From just outside the town the masked stranger rubbed his cheek where Quistis had hit him and grinned as he watched the blonde run into the arms of a tall, black haired boy. He laughed to himself as they disappeared into the shop. I'll be waiting for you, instructor, he thought. 


	13. A Night in Balamb

Chapter Twelve  
A Night In Balamb  
  
  
"What's wrong, Quistis?" Tyrren asked again. Quistis swallowed, no knowing where to start, and rubbed her eyes. Tyrren put his arm around her, reassuring her that she was safe now.  
I'm a fool, Quistis thought, I shouldn't be afraid of him.  
"It was a guy I knew, a while ago," Quistis said quietly, "When I was an instructor, before Ultimecia, I told you about him didn't I?"  
"Who?" Tyrren said, confused.  
Quistis paused. "About Seifer."  
  
******  
  
Rinoa sat on the dock in the moonlight. She closed her eyes and let a tear roll down her cheek. A breeze picked up and lifted her hair off her back. She felt someone sit next to her. Go away, she thought, please let it be Squall.  
The person next to her shuffled, then she felt cool skin brush across her cheek and turn her head towards them. Rinoa opened her eyes and another unintentional tear rolled down her cheek. Squalls bare hand brushed it away. His glove lay on the dock next to him.  
He could feel that something was wrong. The sorrow in Rinoas eyes made his heart cry. She smiled at him sadly, then looked away. Guilt rushed through his chest.  
"Rinoa," he said quietly, "I'm so sorry."  
His voice sounds so sincere, Rinoa thought, but do you know why you're sorry, Squall? Sorry doesn't always make things better.  
"I never meant to ignore you."  
Rinoas heart raced as Squall picked up one of her hands and kissed it softly. She looked into his eyes. In the pale light of the moon she saw sincerity, and smiled warmly.  
"you're forgiven." she whispered as he leaned closer and kissed her.  
  
******  
  
Quistis watched Tyrren think about what she'd just told him. About Seifer, the attack and the relationship she'd had with Seifer after they had defeated Ultimecia.  
"Do you know what he wants from you?" he asked her after a moment.  
Quistis shuddered at the thought of what Seifer could do, and shook her head.  
"Stay here tonight." Tyrren suggested, "If he didn't follow you then he'll probably be waiting for you."  
Quistis choked back another sob.  
"Sorry." Tyrren said quickly, realising what he'd just said. He wrapped his arms around Quistis and kissed her warmly. She returned the kiss then followed him into the spare room where Tyrren told her to get some sleep while he watched over her long into the night.  
  
  
  
Quistis waved to the camera that Irvine held and then went back to talking to Cid and Edea as Irvine turned to film some other girls and Selphie yelled at him. After another hour, Quistis got tired. Instead of retiring to her room she went to the forbidden area in the Training centre. She was surprised to find that no-one was there, but pleased to be alone.  
The lights of the Garden shone brighter than ever. She heard footsteps behind her.  
"Tired of the festivities, Instructor?" a smooth voice said behind her.  
Quistis smiled, "I'm not an instructor anymore, remember, Seifer?"  
The boy leant on the rail next to her.  
"Aren't you scared of me? I did work for the sorceress."  
"That's all over now." Quistis stood to face the boy, "But why are you here?"  
Seifer took stepped closer to Quistis. She saw the burning desire in his eyes, felt the warmth of his breath on her skin. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her passionately. Her legs quivered as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her, feeling his warmth radiate through her. She felt his hands move lower down her body as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.  
  
  
  
Quistis jerked awake, a churning feeling of disgust pulsing through her stomach. She stumbled out of the bed, ran into the bathroom and threw up into the toilet. Coughing and sobbing, Quistis looked at herself in the mirror. She was pale and had broken out in a cold sweat.  
She jumped when she heard footsteps behind her. She spun around, lashing out with a fist, but lost her balance and fell into Tyrrens arms. She started to cry.  
"Don't worry, Quistis. I won't let him hurt you." Tyrren promised her.  
But you can't stop him, Quistis thought, no-one can. 


	14. The Mission Restarts

Chapter Thirteen  
The Mission Restarts  
  
  
Quistis couldn't stop shaking that morning so Tyrren had offered to drive her back to Garden. She accepted the offer gratefully. At 0950 she was sitting outside Cids office waiting for the others to arrive. One by one the rest of her friends arrived. Squall and Rinoa were the last to arrive, arm in arm, with Cid in the lift with them.   
Once everyone was seated in his office, Cid began explaining the second part to their mission.  
"Xu and I have been discussing the next stage of this mission. We have received reports of heavier Dollet military activity around the Centra Ruins. This could be to either protect the Phoenix Wing or a decoy to lead us into a trap." Cid looked at the group, "Three groups must be decided. Again, two of these groups will search the two places where the Phoenix Wing is suspected to be and the other will protect Ellone. Squall," Cid looked at the boy. Typical, Squall thought, It's my choice again. "You've probably guessed that you'll be the leader on this mission. Any thoughts on the groups?"  
Squall leaned back on his chair. "Irvine, Selphie and Rinoa will go to Centra. I'll go to Dollet Tower with Quistis and Zell will stay with Ellone."  
Zell sighed.  
"Right," Cid smiled, impressed with the young soldiers decision, "We have a new destination for you, Zell. Please wait a moment. The rest of you are dismissed. The mission starts at 1100 hours, be at the gate by then.  
Everyone left apart from Zell and Ellone.  
"Right," Cid said once everyone had left. "Zell, you are to take Ellone to Dollet."  
"What!?" Zell stood. "I thought I was going to protect her, not hand her over to Dollet!"  
"Calm down, Zell. You aren't going to hand her over." Cid moved behind his desk. "You'll be in disguise. As you know, there's a festival being held in Dollet all of this week. You'll go there as tourists and lay low until the others have found the Phoenix Wing."  
"Sir, what will happen to the Phoenix Wing when it is found?"  
Cid frowned. "You don't have to worry about that, Zell. Concentrate on the mission. You might even have some fun." He smiled.  
"What about Ellone?" Zell continued. "What'll happen to her when the Phoenix Wing is destroyed? She'll be in even more danger, won't she?"  
"We are unsure what will happen once the Phoenix Wing is found," Cid said seriously, "But for now I advise you to concentrate on your mission." Cid lifted a box onto his desk.   
Zell gritted his teeth and tried to calm himself down.   
"What sort of disguise?" he asked.  
  
******  
  
At 1100 hours Squall and Quistis were on a train heading to Dollet. They got off just outside the town and followed a rough track up to the Communication Tower.  
"Squall..." Quistis broke the silence that had lingered since they had reached Dollet, "Seifer's back."  
Squall frowned and stopped in front of her. "How do you know?"  
"I...met him last night." Quistis bit her lip nervously.  
"Did he say anything?"  
"No."  
Squall turned and started walking up the track again. Quistis followed silently and wondered if she should have said anything.  
  
******  
  
"Woo Hoo!!!" Selphie yelled as loud as she could, sitting in the pilots seat of the Ragnorok. Rinoa smiled and sat behind her.  
"Let's go, Sephie." Irvine said from the other pilot seat.  
"Right!"  
The airship lifted off the ground and rose up out of the trees in which it had been hidden.   
"Next stop, Centra!"  
  
******  
  
"Do I HAVE to wear this?" Zell complained again. Ellone couldn't help but laugh. Cid had instructed Zell and Ellone to cut and die their hair, as well as wear plain, inconspicuous clothes.  
"Stop complaining!" Ellone insisted.  
"Well it's OK for you!" Zell argued, "You look amazing in those!"  
Ellone smiled, "Thanks"  
"But these are just...just..."  
"They look fine!" Ellone insisted.  
Zell wore a black sleeveless shirt and long grey trousers. His hair had been died brown and cut short, despite Zells complaining and resistance. Ellone had traded her skirt for a pair of black jeans, white T-shirt and denim jacket. Her hair was tied back in a tight ponytail.  
Ellone looked at the new watch she had been given.  
"Come on, Zell. We'll miss the train."  
Reluctantly, Zell followed Ellone out of the Garden and through the forests to the nearest station. 


	15. Fireworks and Festivities

Chapter Fourteen  
Fireworks and Festivities  
  
  
"Wow!" Ellone exclaimed as she and Zell arrived at Dollet. The streets were lined with streamers and balloons. Banners were hanging everywhere and the footpaths were crowded with people.  
"You folks here for the festival?" their friendly Inn keeper asked.  
"Sure are." Zell replied, "We'd like to stay the whole week. Do you have a room free?"  
"You're in luck. We were fully booked for the festival but there's been a last minute cancellation." the Inn keeper beamed, "That'll be 700 gil for the week. Breakfast is included, from 6 to 10 every morning."  
"Thanks a lot!"  
They were pointed in the direction of the lift a wished a happy stay.  
"This isn't so bad." Zell said when they were alone in the lift, "It's more like a holiday," He looked at Ellone next to him, "But I won't forget why I'm here. You'll be safe, I promise."  
Zell was shocked when Ellone wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug.  
"Thank you, Zell." she said with her head pressed against his chest. Zell smiled down at her and put his arm around her shoulders.  
The lift shuddered to a stop and they found their room at the end of the hall.   
It was late afternoon by the time they had unpacked their things. Ellone was asleep on the bed and Zell looked out the window at their view. Their room was on a corner so one window looked at the roof of the shop next to the Inn and the other looked onto the street. Across the road from the Inn was a park. Zell felt glad about the position of their room.  
He turned to look at the figure on the bed as it stirred and sat up.  
"How long have I slept?" Ellone mumbled.  
"A few hours." Zell replied.  
"Oh, I'm sorry."  
"Don't worry. Are you hungry?"   
There was a silence. A loud gurgling sound came from Ellone's stomach. She blushed and wrapped her arms around her waist.   
"I'll take that as a yes" Zell laughed.  
They went down to the bar and spent the evening talking. After their meal they went for a walk in the park across the road from the Inn. They stood under the trees by a small pond and talked some more.  
Ellone shivered as a breeze brushed past them.  
"Are you cold? Shall we go?" Zell said, concerned.  
Ellone shook her head. Zell put an arm around her shoulders and closed his eyes as she pressed herself closer to him. They stood together for what seemed like hours. Finally, Ellone pulled back from Zell and looked up into his eyes. He brushed his hand under her chin and pulled her towards him. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek, his strong arm around his waist and closed her eyes as he leaned even closer, closing he gap between his lips and hers.  
There was a small explosion from beyond the trees where they stood. Zell pulled away from Ellone and spun around, searching the darkness to see where it had come from.   
A crackling sound came from the sky. Ellone laughed and stepped out from under the trees as the sky lit up with flashes of blue and green. Another crack and red sparks showered across the starlit sky.  
Ellone smiled at Zell and sat down on the grass to watch the fireworks. Zell lay next to her and they stayed there, watching the sky, until the fireworks stopped.  
  
The next morning Zell woke up after an uncomfortable sleep on the couch in their room. He looked over at Ellone who was still asleep on the one double bed. Checking the time, Zell saw that their free breakfast would be void in 10 minutes. After battling with his conscience, Zell decided to leave Ellone in their room for 5 minutes while he got some food for them.  
In the restaurant, and Inn keeper greeted Zell cheerfully.  
"Late night last night?" the man joked.  
"You could say that. We stayed up to see the fireworks." Zell grinned.  
"Feel free to take some food up for your girlfriend." the Inn keeper offered.  
"Thanks." Zell said piling a plate with bread and butter.  
My girlfriend, Zell thought as he took the lift up to their room.  
He sat on the edge of the bed and watched Ellone sleeping. She is very beautiful, he admitted. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. Ellone smiled and opened her eyes.  
"I brought you some breakfast." Zell said softly, "How did you sleep?"  
"Very well." Ellone said sitting up and watching Zell bring over the plate of bread. He stopped suddenly.  
"What?" Ellone said quietly, feeling suddenly nervous.   
Zell shook his head. "Nothing." He handed Ellone the plate. She looked at him, searching his face for what had made him stop suddenly. Zell watched her search and smiled. She smiled back.  
They discussed what they could do that day. When they were ready to go, they took the lift down to the lobby. In the lift Zell took a deep breath and put his arm around Ellone. She looked up at him.  
"You're a wonderful person, Ellone" Zell told her.  
Ellone smiled, feeling a warmth growing in her chest. She wrapped her arms around Zell and leaned in to kiss him.  
The lift doors pinged open. Ellone withdrew her arms, embarrassed, and the two made their way out into the Festive streets. 


	16. Communication

Chapter Fifteen  
Communication  
  
  
It was a long hike to the communication tower but the time passed quickly for Quistis. She thought about Seifer. They had only been together for a month before Quistis found out what Seifer had been doing with his free time. They had had a fight and then Seifer left mysteriously.   
She worried about Tyrren. If Seifer had followed her that night then he would know about him. She didn't want to think about what Seifer would do.  
Squall stopped walking and crouched between a rock and some grass. Quistis followed suit and crawled up beside him. The two SeeDs watched as two Dollet soldiers walked around the base of the Tower. They were joking about a girl who one of them was going out with.  
Quistis looked at the tower. The only way in was through the main door, but there were spikes sticking out of the walls of the tower. Squall had the same idea. He whispered hurriedly to her and then started to move closer to the tower. Quistis moved the other way towards the main door. She waited for Squalls signal and when she saw a flash of light from his gunblade, she stood and walked towards the guards.  
The two men stood up straight when they saw Quistis approaching.  
"Hey beautiful," one of them said, "we're gonna need to see some ID before you can enter."  
The other soldier smirked. Quistis smiled back, slyly.  
"I must have forgotten my ID today," she said smoothly, "I don't suppose you could overlook me just this once?"  
The first soldier grinned and looked her over, but Quistis was aware that the other soldier had mover his hand onto the holster of his gun. Quistis took a casual step back.  
Suddenly, a shot rang out and the soldier with his hand on his gun fell back, blood leaking from a wound on his head. Squall came running from around the side of the tower and finished off the other one.  
"Did you see anything?" Quistis asked him. Squall shook his head and led the way into the tower.  
  
Inside they took the lift up to the top floor. There was a box hidden in a corner next to the satellite dish. Quistis bent down to pick it up but Squall stopped her.  
"It isn't very well hidden." he stated.  
Quistis stood up. "What should we do?" she asked.  
Squall unsheathed his gunblade and lifted one of the flaps on the top of the box. A piercing siren sounded from the tower. Squall looked at Quistis. "RUN!"  
The lift had stopped working. Squall looked for a ladder and found one on the outside of the tower. He started climbing down with Quistis following him.  
At the bottom, Squall ran to the edge of the hill and waited for Quistis. She had reached the bottom of the ladder but as she started to run towards Squall she heard a small click. She jumped to the side, just missing a bullet from somewhere behind her. She picked herself up and ran down the hill. Another shower of bullets rained down on her and she ducked into a hollow in the ground until they had stopped.  
On the other side of the hill Squall heard the firing. He made his way around the hill but couldn't see Quistis.  
Hiding in the hollow, Quistis peered out only to see Squall turn away from her and keep running down the hill.  
She knew the drill - If they got split up they were to find their own way back to Garden. She was on her own now.  
Quistis waited and listened. When it sounded like the coast was clear she crawled out of the hollow and ran down the hill. A single shot rang out. Quistis stumbled on a tuft of grass, fell and started rolling down the hill. Frantically scraping her arms along the ground to stop herself, she finally hit a tree and came to a stop.  
  
******  
  
Squall reached the station just in time for a train. Looking around for Quistis, he boarded the train. She knows what to do, he thought to himself as the train pulled out of the station.  
'Next stop; Balamb'  
  
******  
  
Breathing hard, Quistis lifted herself up and leaned against the tree. She was scratched and bruised and her heel looked like it was broken. She looked around for something to tell her where she was.  
Her breath caught in her throat as she heard a footstep behind her. She looked around the tree but couldn't see anything.  
"It looks like you can't run away from me this time instructor Trepe." said a smooth voice behind her. Quistis turned the other way and found herself looking straight into Seifers blue eyes. 


	17. Centra Ruins

Chapter Sixteen  
Centra Ruins  
  
  
"YEE HAAA!!!" Selphie squealed with joy as the Ragnorok burst through a plume of clouds out over the ocean. The sun shone brightly and the water below them shimmered like a thousand diamonds. In the distance a shadowed bump of the Centra coast was growing ever closer.   
Irvine laughed at Selphies excitement and Rinoa smiled too. She checked over her cardinal for the hundredth time and watched the distant land grow closer.  
"What's wrong Rinoa?" Selphie asked. She had noticed the other girls uneasiness a while ago but had chosen to say nothing about it.  
"It's this place, Centra. It gives me the creeps. For some reason..."  
Rinoa trailed off and the others waited for her to continue.  
"...For some reason it reminds me of Ultimecia. I don't know why."  
"You don't need to worry." Irvine reassured her, "You have me and Sephy here to protect you. This is just a simple check-up mission, remember?"  
"Yeah, don't worry Rinoa."  
"Thanks guys."  
The airship slowed and flew lower as they approached the continent. Rinoa felt uneasy. There was a familiar feeling about this place for some reason. She felt as if someone or something was waiting for her, deep in the ruins.  
Selphie landed the airship near a forest and out of sight of the ruins so the threesome could make the rest of their journey by foot. As they prepared to leave the ship, Rinoa suddenly felt scared. She put on a brave face and led the others out onto the continent.  
It wasn't far to the ruins but by the time they reached them it was the late afternoon. They scouted the perimeter, counting numbers of soldiers and guards on duty and then returned to the airship as night fell, to prepare for their midnight mission. On the ship Irvine took Rinoa to one side.  
"Are you OK?" he asked.  
"I..." Rinoas vision faded to white and she slumped into Irvines arms.  
Irvine called Selphie over to them.  
"Should we abort the mission?" he asked her after they had taken Rinoa to the sick bay to lie down. She was still unconscious.  
"No. But I don't know what to do." Selphie said.  
"Why don't we leave her here and go on our own?" Irvine said. "It might be the best thing to do."  
"Yeah..." Selphie said slowly.  
"I know!" Irvine said, " Why don't we leave her a note so that if she wakes up she can join us.  
"Good ides!" Selphie said, cheering up, "I'll write it."  
After a while the two had written her a note and at midnight they left her in the Ragnorok and headed back to the Centra Ruins.  
At the ruins they went to the place where they had agreed to enter, and made their way through the stone ruins, out of sight of the guards. When they reached the main building they split up. Irvine headed inside and Selphie kept watch outside.  
A group of guards approached her and she ducked out of site behind the rocks.  
"Yeah I wonder when the SeeDs will show up." one of them said.  
"Is it actually here?" another asked.  
"I don't know." a third replied.  
"It must be with all the guards they have posted here."  
"Yeah and that thing they keep in the Main ruins."  
"How could they let something like that loose?"  
"I hope they pay us danger money for this job."  
"I heard that they feed people to it. You know, to give it a taste for human blood."  
"Shut up Biggs, that's sick."  
  
The group of men walked out of Selphies hearing range but she'd heard enough. Turning back to the opening that Irvine had disappeared through, Selphie followed quickly, hoping it wasn't too late.  
  
******  
  
Irvine made his way forward in the dark, feeling his way. After a while he stopped to put on his night vision glasses. He saw some steps to his left and decided to follow them down. He flicked the infra-red patch down on his goggles to check for guards. He couldn't see any near him but there was a lot of activity at the bottom of the stairs. Deciding to be careful, Irvine made his way down the stairs. 


	18. Reaquaintence

Chapter Seventeen  
Re-acquaintance   
  
  
Seifer smiled at Quistis. It was a kind smile - the type that Quistis had never seen on him before. She couldn't help herself shivering.  
"Do I disgust you?" Seifer asked calmly.  
Quistis tried to answer but her throat was dry and no sounds came out. Seifer moved closer to Quistis and touched her face softly. Quistis winced as a sudden spasm of pain seared through her foot. She gritted her teeth and muffled a cry. Seifer watched her face and without a word, picked her up and started walking into the trees.  
Quistis put her arms around his neck. Sweat trickled down her face and cried out as her foot hit a tree.  
"Sorry." Seifer said. Quistis had never heard him say that before. She looked at his face and he smiled at her again. His smile scared her but in some ways it was strangely comforting.  
They reached a cabin, surrounded by trees at the foot of a hill. It was dark inside but Seifer seemed to know his way around. Quistis felt herself being lowered onto something soft. She could hear Seifer scrabbling around in the dark and then a moment later sparks flashed and a candle was lit.  
Quistis could see Seifer in the corner lighting more candles, some of which were almost completely burned down. She noticed that all the windows had boards on them and the only furniture in the room was a bed, a table and a chair. There were old boxes lying around with bits of paper hanging out of them and dust everywhere. Quistis sneezed. Seifer continued to light the candles, slowly and delicately. Once they were all lit he brought them over to the bed that he had placed Quistis on.  
Neither of them knew what to say. Seifer looked at Quistis' foot, untied her boots and slipped them off. Quistis held back urges to cry out. The pain was so intense. Her right foot had swollen up and was purple. Seifer glared at her foot, thinking hard. He reached into a box under the bed and pulled out a roll of bandage.  
"This won't do much and I haven't used magic since..." Seifer trailed off.  
Quistis closed her eyes and focused on her foot. Muttering under her breath, she cast a cure spell. The dim room was lit up by green light. The pain in her foot eased and some of the swelling went down but it was still bruised.  
When Quistis opened her eyes Seifer was looking at her, watching her. It made Quistis feel uneasy but she couldn't deny that there were still traces of care for Seifer left in her. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand, using the bed as a support.  
"It's better," she said to Seifer, wanting to get out of there as soon as she could, "Thanks Seifer, but I have to go."  
She moved to pass him but he put his hand on her arm.  
"You can't go yet." he said sternly.  
Quistis was annoyed, "Why not?"  
"It's dark and there are no more trains until tomorrow. You don't have anywhere else to stay."  
"I have a room in Dollet." Quistis lied, feeling trapped.  
Seifer pushed her back and she fell on the bed.  
"Don't lie to me. You're staying here." He towered over her on the bed. Quistis kicked out with her good foot and hit Seifer in the shin.  
"Shit." he shouted. Quistis got up and headed for the door. Seifer jumped up and grabbed her, spinning her around to face him. Quistis felt his hands squeezing her arms and remembered how strong he was.  
Before Quistis knew what was happening he had tied her hands together with the bandage. He picked her up again and threw her on the bed, and used the rest of the bandage to tie her legs down. Quistis twisted as Seifer struggled to tie her down.  
"Dammit Seifer." She said, relaxing because she knew he had beaten her. Seifer went and sat down in the chair, looking at Quistis.  
"Go to sleep." he ordered her.  
"What are you doing here?" Quistis asked him, not wanting to go to sleep the way she was with him in the room.  
"Cheap rent." he replied, picking up a piece of paper and reading over it.  
"I like what you've done with the place." she commented and felt a wave of relief when Seifer smiled too. He stood up and walked over to where she was on the bed.  
"I never stopped thinking about you." he said sincerely, "After we broke up I became a full time renegade. Got pretty close to some pretty important people. You could benefit from my help Instructor."  
"I don't need anything from you anymore." she replied bitterly. She turned her head away from Seifer to hide the tears that were building up in her eyes.  
"I know what you're looking for. I saw the Phoenix Wing once. It was when I worked for Mayor what's-his-name...Gilbert I think."  
Quistis' ears pricked up.  
"He told me to hide it at the communication tower. Then all these monsters came along - mean bastards. I didn't think it was worth it so I just didn't bother. Heh heh. Serves Gilbert right for not paying me."  
Quistis looked at Seifer. He was watching her again. He put his hand on her cheek but she pulled her face away.  
"Fine." he said and went back to the table. He didn't say anything else for the rest of the evening and soon went to sleep leaning against a wall.  
Quistis pulled at the bandages around her wrists - they were loose. She wiggled her hand and managed to get one free. She struggled with the other bandages holding her to the bed and managed to get one arm free. She reached down onto the floor in search of something to cut herself free with. There was the box that Seifer had pulled the bandages out of and another one. Sifting slowly through the contents of the other box, Quistis touched something warm and soft. She tugged at it to get it free. Suddenly a piercing scream echoed in her ears, her vision faded to white and she passed out. 


	19. Love Grows Realisation

Chapter Eighteen  
Love Grows - Realisation  
  
  
Dollet was a truly exciting town. In the morning Zell had taken Ellone to the Presidential Residence as they were holding tours for the public during the festival. They had eaten lunch in a seaside cafe near the Tomb of the Unknown King and had then taken a tour of that.  
Now they were sitting in the Hotel bar again. They'd just ordered food and were enjoying each others company more than anything.  
"Yeah, I wanna be just like my grandfather someday." Zell told Ellone, "What about you? Who do you admire the most?"  
"Me?" Ellone said stunned, "I've never really thought about it. I don't think I have an idol. I just want to be a good person. Perhaps someone who other people will talk about when I'm gone. I'd like it if someone in the future would say 'I really want to be like Ellone'. That's what I'd like."  
Zell watched Ellone as she spoke. So graceful, so beautiful, he thought.  
"What?" she said, noticing that he was staring at her.  
Zell blushed.   
"I was just thinking how beautiful you were."  
Ellone smiled and put her hand on his, which was resting on the table. He leaned closer to her and stroked her cheek. She could feel butterflies in her stomach. He drew her closer to him.  
A plate hit the table in front of them and a cheery waitress smiled at them. "Sorry kids, am I interrupting something?"  
Ellone laughed and Zell smiled and the waitress, "Thanks" he said, and the two started their meal.  
  
******  
  
Quistis' vision faded in on a dimly lit office. She was standing in front of a polished wooden desk, behind which a young man with short dark hair and grey eyes sat. The man looked up.  
"It's about time Seifer. An old friend of yours is coming soon. Headmaster Cid, infact. He can't see you here. This is what I need you to do..."  
"Hold on old man." A familiar voice said  
Where am I? Rinoa thought.  
We seem to be in the dream world again, Quistis replied.  
Dream world? then how can I speak to you? Rinoa said shocked.  
I'm as confused as you are.  
"What about my money?" Seifer continued.  
"You'll get it once you've done you task. Now, I'm going to send five boxes out once I've spoken to Cid. Here are your instructions. Just do what it says. Most of your money's in the box that the Phoenix Wing's in."  
Quistis and Rinoa read the note Seifer had been given.  
  
YOU MUST INTERCEPT A   
COACH HEADING TO DOLLET.  
TAKE THE BOX THAT THE   
GUARDS ARE CARRYING,  
YOUR MONEY IS IN THAT.  
HIDE THE BOX AT THE   
FOLLOWING CO-ORDINATES:  
  
KS3476502 lat  
OH7562825 lon  
  
  
Where are you Quistis? Rinoa asked.  
I'm in a cabin in the forest around Dollet. I'm with Seifer. I think I've found the Phoenix win...  
Rinoa didn't hear the rest because the scene faded to whit and faded back in on the dark haired man. He was standing next to a large cage with a hideous creature in it. It's jaws were lined with sharp teeth and it's clawed paws reached out of the cage trying to snag anyone who came too close.  
"What the hell's this for?" Seifers voice said again.  
"None of you business, just a little trap for some SeeDs."  
Rinoa noticed that they were at the Centra ruins.  
Rinoa? Rinoa? are you there? Quistis called.  
I'm here, but I have to warn Irvine and Selphie. They're headed to the ruins.  
Right. Don't worry I've got the Phoenix Wing. Bye.  
  
Both the girls' vision faded to white and then black.  
Rinoa woke up to find herself lying in the sick bay of the Ragnorok. A note lay on the bed next to her.  
  
GONE TO RUINS. CATCH UP WHEN YOU CAN -luv Selphie  
  
Rinoa swore, picked up her cardinal and ran out of the ship towards the ruins.  
  
******  
  
Quistis opened her eyes and the soft object in her hand fell back into the box. She closed her eyes and reached for the other box for something to cut the bandages with but found nothing. She reached her arm up to tug at the knots, unaware that Seifers eyes had flicked open and were watching her intently. 


End file.
